Before
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After
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4 hours soaking in straight Simple Green, no sanding or wire brush, I simply run it under warm water while using a toothbrush to remove the black for about a minute or two.
Sal
That turned out great, Sal --
I had no idea that SG would work that well.
When I use shovels, axes, sledge hammers, hoes, and such -- particularly in wet or muddy conditions -- I was taught by an old farmer who always had good tools -- to rinse them off with water -- just rag dry -- then spray them with WD-40 before hanging them up. I would also sharpen the hoes and shovels with an angle grinder -- makes the next job much easier.
But the WD-40 on all tools -- plus a quick wipe down, really keeps them in good condition.
I have a bunch of old pliers and other tools I am going to try your SG trick on.
Thanks,
Fred
Thanks for the info, there is one to keep under your hat...
Brent
Tried it yesterday just for the heck of it and I thought it was a good idea to share. It's nice to get something this clean with very little effort.
Fred, I don't have the room, but my brother had a warehouse.
I remember him having a couple of 50 gallon trash cans filled with sand and recycled motor oil.
Shovels and other tools used to get stored in there and always looked good.
Sal
Sal/Fred...are either one of you running SG in an ultra sonic cleaning machine. Currently I'm using L&R cleaning fluid and this stuff is down right toxic!!! Just wondering what your experiences with this are.
Thnx
Bob
Bob, I believe Fred does, mine just sits in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. When it starts to get darkish gray, I dump it and get another gallon for a couple of bucks.
I probably do that once a year, but I don't clean many parts, this stuff is environmentally friendly, but if you don't have a lid on it, it will stink up the hole house.
Sal
I run Simple Green in my L&R. Love it.
I'm gonna give the SG a go. It's a whole lot cheaper than the fluid I'm currently using. I'll let you guys know the outcome.
I run in my L&R, one container of SG cut 50/50 with water -- and one container of Zep Purple Degreaser cut 50/50 with water.
Best,
Fred
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Yes Fred, that was what I was thinking of doing. I'm fortunate to have two ultra sonic cleaners. One will be Zep and one will be SG. First Zep than SG, in that order. I use mine everyday for heavily greased parts.
Simple Green, Some of the orange cleaners, white vinegar, even dollar store CLR works on some things. I use Simple green and a brush to bet the moss that grows on the boards of the walkway to the house and it does a good job. Baking soda will work on that as well, everything up here gets green moss coating. Not uncommon to see white "spots in driveways where baking soda has been applied.
Awesome. Great job man.
simple green is great for many task. Be careful though, it is not so good for aluminum. I ruined a few rifle parts made of aluminum with simple green in an ultrasonic cleaner. I read labels better now and usually confirm with someone I trust before using chemicals or cleaners I havent used before.
i used laundry detergent (sodium carbonate) and it chewed through the anodizing of a calcutta. i ended up getting the guy a new reel. totally my screw up.
Quote from: alantani on August 18, 2023, 03:42:55 PMi used laundry detergent (sodium carbonate) and it chewed through the anodizing of a calcutta. i ended up getting the guy a new reel. totally my screw up.
Yep, Alan —-
Been there.
After making mistakes, and also figuring out what works most effectively and safely on different types of parts —-
Aluminum, painted, anodized, graphite, plastic, steel, brass, bronze, alloys, etc —- my go-tos on 95% of the jobs are —-
Dawn HD dish soap, lacquer thinner, simple green cut 50/50 with water.
And then a good feel for stopping the cleaning process before issues (crap) happens.
This last part comes with experience —- and there are still the occasional screw-ups.
Best, Fred
And then a good feel for stopping the cleaning process before issues (crap) happens.
This last part comes with experience —- and there are still the occasional screw-ups.
Best, Fred
[/quote]
Fred, like when you put that piece in that can't stay to long and the Mrs. yells and says she needs your help, hours later you remember!!! Yup, been there done that.
Does no one use diesel, heating oil or kerosene any more or am I the lone wolf? On a few occasions, I use gasoline outside on the gravel driveway with a brush, if I'm in a hurry or its the only duel handy. This is how my grandfather cleaned up parts for sale with his salvage yard business from the late 40s to the 80s.
I now use dawn as well, but for heavy caked grease parts (automotive or reel), I first tend to let them soak in diesel fuel overnight and then after a water bath, use dawn to finish the cleaning.
A lot of the old time experienced reel guys would use kerosene —-
And I did for a couple of years along with a large recycle-type parts cleaner and screens. But it was only for the outer shops and car parts. It was very oily and the stench stays around forever.
So just switched to lacquer thinner. Just as effective, and much easier for cleanup.
Still have the large parts washer.
Best,Fred
I could never stand the smell of kerosene, diesel or gas because it sticks around so long. I'm not too fond of mineral spirits either because of the lingering smell. At least with lacquer thinner or acetone the smell fades quickly, especially outside in the open air.
Quote from: alantani on August 18, 2023, 03:42:55 PMi used laundry detergent (sodium carbonate) and it chewed through the anodizing of a calcutta. i ended up getting the guy a new reel. totally my screw up.
OOPS. We all learn by our mistakes
I have some Simple Green but use it only on large car parts, have had bad experiences with bicycle and reel parts in there.
Prefer to use a bicycle degreaser, Finish Line Citrus or similar. It doesn't attack aluminum, smells good, and doesn't leave a greasy film. Biodegradable too..